England v Samoa

[munstermuffin]

If England make wholesale changes and struggle past Samoa and then lost to South Africa next week then the Austrailian game will look like a flash in the pan and dent England. They need to keep momentum going

 

[yeelesy]

eot345 good option, good to give our central players time to rest in build up for sa. but need to keep the core the same as a build up for sa

 

[cardassian]

3-4 changes max imo.
England need to keep up the momentum after that fantastic game on the weekend.
Personally I think the centres look a bit slow and maybe some new blood there should be given a chance.
Rest maybe one or two of the big boys ahead of S.A. and keep most players where they are to build up some consistency.
Samoa should be easily beatable but will provide a totally different challenge from Autralia and the core of the England team need to show that they can adapt to different game plans/ playing styles.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Just read that the England squad is being announced tomorrow midday,
Also, Banahan hasn't been released back to Bath, so I presume he'll be either 11. 13. or 22.

 

[iWin]

Just read that the England squad is being announced tomorrow midday,
Also, Banahan hasn't been released back to Bath, so I presume he'll be either 11. 13. or 22.

All three of those options make me sad.
Allen (and Waldouck albeit through injury) not being there also makes me sad.
Martin Johnson does not like my happiness apparently.

 

[mounsey_boi]

Bannahan is an ok player but I just think its his size and pace that work well together. His hands are pretty good and his off-loads are very good. However I think his overall performance isn't great and not good enough to get into the starting England squad.

 

[brunobroughton]

Eng v samoa:

I think this would be a good team for Johnson and co.

1.) Sheridan
2.) Hartley
3.) Cole
4.) Shaw
5.) Lawes
6.) Robshaw
7.) Moody (C)
8.) Ward-Smith

9.) Care
10.) Hodgson
11.) Cueto
12.) Hape
13.) Allen
14.) Ashton
15.) Armitage

16.) Thompson
17.) Marler
18.) Attwood
19.) Easter
20.) Simpson
21.) Flood
22.) Tait

I think this is a good team because it has similar people to the win over the aussies but it also gives others some game time who have little international experience. The reason i have dropped Palmer is because his place is pretty secure, so a rest is necessary before the big game v South Africa on the 27th. We know Croft picked up a slight injury at the weekend so a rest for him as well, whilst giving the quins flanker robson a start would be a boost. I think Dan Ward-Smith deserves a chance. The Samoans will be physical and Ward-Smith can still deal with this, and Easter could make an impact from the bench. Don't get me wrong, the Samoa game is not pushover, and Ireland had to drive out an ugly win over them on Saturday. In the backs Youngs also came off...give him a full recovery and give Care a start after 2 good impacts off the bench, and give Joe Simpson a go from the bench. Hodgson has had hardly any game time...if he can front up in defence there is no reason why he can't have a good start. Keep some unity in the team, have the wingers reamain the same, give Armitage a start. Hape needs more game time, Tindall not on top form and a slight ****le as well, a rest for him and see how Allen gets on. Quins prop Joe Marler is having a storming season, lets see him, and also Tait has found a bit of form with Sale.

Although this team is quite changed from the win, and many say don't change a winning team, but i think we have found the right mix here. Almost 100% sure Johnno won't name this team, but it is one i would like to see.

 

[yeelesy]

i completely agree!! mix it up a bit. just like what we have been doing at Esher and we are good team

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Riki Flutey, Dominic Waldouck, Joe Worsley, Tim Payne (woop woop!), Paul Doran-Jones, Anthony Allen (what's the f'ing point of calling him up yesterday to release him today?), George Chuter and David Strettle have all been released back to their clubs.
This means there's the 22 from the Australia game + Haskell + Attwood + Banahan

I think the three of them will be involved (Haskell at 8 or 19, Banahan at 13 or 22 and Attwood at 4 or 18) - Shaw will be dropped for Attwood (with, probably, Lawes on the bench if he starts), Fourie for Haskell (with Easter on the bench if he starts) and Tindall for Banahan

I also reckon that Sheridan and Wilson will switch places, Care and Youngs will, Hodgson and Flood will and Foden and Armitage will

 

[Geoff_]

Samoa can win this game if they just dominate from the beginning and not easy off during the late periods of the game.
I reckon kahn fotualii should start at first five but i wouldn't want junior polu at half back as he seems to choke at international level
apart from that I'm looking forward to this game and see how which team is going to dominate different facets of the game especially scrumming and lineouts,. I would be happy with a english win no more than 5points :lol:

 

[mohamed_ali12]

According to The Independent:

The England manager, Martin Johnson, will today name his starting XV to face Samoa which is likely to include three changes as several players are rested. Hendre Fourie will replace Lewis Moody, James Haskell comes in for Tom Croft and Matt Banahan takes over from Mike Tindall. In Moody's absence, the captain's armband is expected to pass to Nick Easter.

 

[Sam Owen]

Bannahan is an ok player but I just think its his size and pace that work well together. His hands are pretty good and his off-loads are very good. However I think his overall performance isn't great and not good enough to get into the starting England squad.

Ive only seen him once against the All Blacks. He was on the wing and I thought he was quite impressive. He didnt have a great game but you can see potential in him, big and strong but also fast. His future is promising.

I reckon kahn fotualii should start at first five but i wouldn't want junior polu at half back as he seems to choke at international level
apart from that I'm looking forward to this game and see how which team is going to dominate different facets of the game especially scrumming and lineouts,. I would be happy with a english win no more than 5points :lol:

Lavea is a natural 1st five and Kahn is playing well at halfback. I'd stick with that rather than bring in a guy that you say (Junior Polu) is lacking in confidence. I'd be happy with an English win no more than 3.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

According to The Independent:

I'd rather Haskell at 8 than 6!
Croft is too valuable to lose in the lineout, and while Easter is on good form atm he's about 106 and needs a sitdown by the fire with his slippers and a mug of ovaltine every now and again

 

[TRF_Olyy]

<table class="alttable"><thead><tr><th colspan="2">England Team to face Samoa</th></tr> <tr><th>Player </th><th>Club </th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>15 Ben Foden</td> <td>Northampton Saints</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>14 Chris Ashton </td> <td>Northampton Saints</td></tr> <tr> <td>13 Matt Banahan </td> <td>Bath Rugby</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>12 Shontayne Hape</td> <td>Bath Rugby</td></tr> <tr> <td>11 Mark Cueto</td> <td>Sale Sharks</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>10 Toby Flood </td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr> <td>9 Ben Youngs </td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>1 Andrew Sheridan</td> <td>Sale Sharks </td></tr> <tr> <td>2 Dylan Hartley</td> <td>Northampton Saints</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>3 David Wilson </td> <td>Bath Rugby </td></tr> <tr> <td>4 Courtney Lawes</td> <td>Northampton Saints</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>5 Tom Palmer </td> <td>Stade Francais</td></tr> <tr> <td>6 James Haskell </td> <td>Stade Francais</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>7 Hendre Fourie</td> <td>Leeds Carnegie </td></tr> <tr> <td>8 Nick Easter (C)</td> <td>Harlequins</td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="alttable"><thead> <tr><th colspan="2">Replacements</th></tr> <tr><th>Player </th><th>Club </th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>16 Steve Thompson</td> <td>Leeds Carnegie </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>17 David Wilson</td> <td>Bath Rugby </td></tr> <tr> <td>18 Dave Attwood</td> <td>Gloucester Rugby</td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>19 Tom Croft</td> <td>Leicester Tigers</td></tr> <tr> <td>20 Danny Care</td> <td>Harlequins </td></tr> <tr class="alternate"> <td>21 Charlie Hodgson</td> <td>Sale Sharks</td></tr> <tr> <td>22 Delon Armitage</td> <td>London Irish
</td></tr></tbody></table>

Exactly as Ali posted, except with Wilson
I would've thought Wilson would take the place of Sheridan
I hope Attwood gets a decent amount of time this match,
Also hope Hodgson gets more than 3 minutes
I'm curious to see how Banahan does. Does he play a lot with Hape? I know Barkley pretty much has the 12 shirt nailed on, so will this be a new thing, or will there be a little continuity there?
I hope he has a good match/proves some haters wrong (not just because I think he gets an unfair amount of hate his way, I also want England to do well! ) - It's a shame Allen didn't get used, but what would a test series be without Johnson making some poor decisions?

Also, on Fourie, i do think he's a decent player (not the best, but not the worst) - but really - why is he there? He's not going to last long past the world cup (how many people get their first caps in their 30s?) and he's also South African, not English.
Really think they should have used this test series to try out some younger 7s (e.g Wood!) and then used the 6N to get them more imbedded into the team, with an eye on them playing in the WC.
Also, it's a shame that Robshaw plays the same position as Haskell. Haskell is decent (getting better the longer he plays in France) but I think Robshaw is much better, but gets overlooked as he wasn't part of the squad when Johnson took over. I always think he's much older than the 24yrs old that he is, but then Haskell and Croft are both similar age, so I can't see him breaking into the squad anytime soon

 

[munstermuffin]

That is a decent team allowing Moody etc a rest

 

[Duckdee]

I'm mostly glad to see Youngs is fit.

 

[gingergenius]

great. so a chance either for continuity or to give young talented guys a go, and we've got a faster version of jamie noon in at 13, and nothing against cueto, but i thought this would be an ideal time to try someone else out on the wing.

some quite boring and irrelevant changes made.

 

[eot345]

i think bannahan is hated more than necessary he scores a lot of trys and is getting better all the time. i hope he proves a bunch of people wrong on the weekend he offers a diffrent aspect to our centers with his aggresive tackling and strength aswell as his great offloads just wish he had a more creative player inside hime...waldouck?

 

[munstermuffin]

Johnson knows he has to build momentum. Very smart selection from him.

 

[Peat]

I can't believe I'm the first person to notice David Wilson's heavy, heavy workload - particularly as its likely he'll be asked to replace Sheridan at loosehead from the bench while continuing to prop at tightside...

This selection irritates me. Banahan in the centre is exactly more of the same as what we've got. He's not got a lot of experience there either. He's got a good offload but... uhm... ffs, he doesn't even break that many tackles!

Haskell is a brain dead buffoon who wouldn't be in my England squad. Croft didn't need a rest and we know what Haskell can deliver. Also, there's plenty of 6s better than Haskell.

Fourie probably does deserve his chance, but I still remain against 31 year old South Africans in the England squad on general principle.

Just... urgh.

edit: Also the subs. Give someone new a chance from the bench. Paul Doran-Jones f'instance. Or Robshaw.